Really? The Claim: Drinking Tea Can Lower Your Levels of Iron

By ANAHAD O’CONNOR
Published: June 29, 2009

THE FACTS
With its bounty of antioxidants and relatively moderate levels of caffeine, tea is one of the healthiest beverages around. But drinking tea is said to block the body’s absorption of dietary iron, potentially causing a deficiency.

Studies have shown that there is some truth to the idea. Compounds in tea called tannins can act as chelators, binding to minerals and inhibiting the body’s ability to absorb them. Although that can reduce a person’s levels of iron, studies have also found that it is unlikely to have much of an impact.

In one study, scientists examined the effect by having people eat a typical meal — a hamburger, string beans and mashed potatoes — and then measuring their iron levels after the meal was combined with various drinks. When the subjects ate the meal with tea, there was a 62 percent reduction in iron absorption. Drinking coffee resulted in a 35 percent reduction. Orange juice increased iron absorption by about 85 percent.

But there was a twist. Coffee and tea affected only the levels of non-heme iron, the kind found in grains and vegetables. Heme iron, found in meat, fish and poultry, was unaffected.

Because most Americans generally get more iron from their diets than needed, a daily cup or two of coffee or tea is unlikely to lead to low levels of iron.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Compounds in coffee and tea can affect iron absorption.

ANAHAD O’CONNOR scitimes@nytimes.com

One study
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6896705?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

Good Sharing , Dore ... !!

Umair

Thanks, Dore.

 
We take so much iron from blood! the iron we get from food is nothing comparing to that.
I, personally, am unwilling even to start thinking about it.

Lena.

This is true, we have been giving tea along with any iron containing food for my daughter and it is helping. Since we can not completely avoid the food which contains iron like cereals,eggs which has other vitamins etc. The tea lowers the iron binding and absorption by body. The vitamin C increases the iron binding so one should avoid the citric drinks with food. Although iron absorbed by food is significantly lesser than the iron received due to transfusion but it is helpful to avoid the other source for iron absorption.

Regards,
Om

Heme iron, found in meat, fish and poultry, was unaffected.

This is new to me   

manal

;) All credits to mister G. who send me this. We met through the mailing list through IDI He has also hemachromatose and has thalassemia minor!! He came to know that a few years ago (dont know his age) He has a great website with nice pc tools for patients. I could ask him of I could share it here (please remind me of this idea)

What I wanted to post; we need such article for calcium. Does yoghurt really block the absording (?) of non-heme iron?

thanks for sharing it helps, i drink green tea everyday.


peace...

Tea is also a very good antioxidant, giving one more reason to enjoy this wonderful beverage.

As far as heme iron, the way to minimize it is by avoiding foods with high amounts of heme iron, like red meat, especially beef.